Stinger
Pre-Entropy History Libby Mega found a home on the streets of San Francisco after her parents, Filipino immigrants, were killed simply for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Libby's story about the occurrence changes with each telling but it's generally assumed that a few anti-immigration activists decided to visit Chinatown on the same day the Mega family was having an outing at an asian market. When the gunfire started, Libby's father flung her to safety. However, Libby was not found by officals or helpful people. Being only 5 at the time, she was eventually found by Social services who thought she was the child of a homeless family. She was brought to a foster home but quickly escaped, fearing for her safety. According to her, the foster home was a breeding ground of disturbed children and less than scrupulous overseers. Depending on when she is telling the story, she says her powers manifested them. Not long after turning 8, she was found by Dr. Quantum and the Quantum Foundation. As the youngest ever recorded metahuman at the time, she got an inordinate amount of attention, something she disliked. Dr. Quatnum asked to train her personally, partly as a scientist of metahuman abilities and the effect on personality (and vice versa), but also out of an empathy for the girl. He took her under his wing making her his ward. Calling her "Stinger" based on her power set (as well as his interest in Tolkien fiction) the two created a partnership of mentor and squire as they had adventures, singly, as a duo, and with Quantum's Questers. This lasted for several years until the incident that changed everything. While dealing with an organization known only as "the Rooks," Dr. Quantum lead a team to the secret base that existed inside the Omni Hotel. Somewhere behind the world, they found a gateway to the real realm of the Rooks, massive, ancient, and cosmic beings of unimaginable power and purpose. When the fight quickly turned against the team, Dr. Quantum ordered a retreat. Only two stayed behind, Mr. Matter (who was too busy plundering to realise that he was already dead) and Stinger who would never abandon her mentor. Mr. Matter was crushed to death by his own creation and the duo were captured as they bought time for the rest of the team to escape. For Dr. Quantum, all he remembers is torture as they experimented on them both. In one of the last encountered, the beings extracted the fluids from Stinger's pineal gland,the supposed source of metapowers, and injected it in Dr. Quantum. Dr. Quantum, suspected what was about to happen begged for the reverse. In "fairness" the rooks flipped a coin. Stinger lost. Her fluids were extracted and injected into Dr. Quantum. The process killed Stinger almost instantly. Doctor Quantum escaped in his fury, his body pulsating with power enough that he was able to destroy at least one rook in his fleeing. As he escaped the building, he found he was no longer in San Francisco, but San Niebla. He morned the loss of his ward and considers it one of the defining moments of his life. This would be the end of her story until the Infinate Quantums incident. When other versions of Doctor Quantum from alternate realities emerged, one of the heroes was a woman in her twenties to had a version of Stingers costume and similar powers. Later it was revealed that this was indeed Libby Mega. In her reality, the coin the Rooks used to decide who would die flipped in the opposite way. For her, it was jarring to see Doctor Quantum alive and well after watching his death and disecetion. In her reality, according to her, there are no more rooks active. She killed several on the way out of their realm and destroyed the hotel they used as cover. This Stinger was darker than Doctor Quantum remembered, but the shock of seeing her and what she had become with her emotional scars was more than a little startling. They like that they have each other back but Stinger refused to see him once the Infinate Quantum incident concluded. However, she did accept his card, an open invitation to return any time she wanted and sent him a note thanking him for everything. With Doctor Quantum's blessing she set out for New Amster, finding other lost metas, and seeing what she can make for herself. As a way of supporting her finding, Doctor Quantum set up a trust for her. In return, she acts as a teacher, talent scout, and warrior for the Questers in the area. Eventually, she started a small group of heroes called Quantum Knights. She currently lives in New Amster in an apartment she shares with 5 other knights. Post -Entropy History Her history with Doctor Quantum was much like her previous incarnation. However, after Entropy, she never died at the hands of the rooks. Her gland was extracted and she seemed dead, mostly to torture Doctor Quantum. But she was carted away and given a small red and white stone (which looked not unlike a peppermint candy) in place of her stolen gland. When that happened, she awoke and detonated the entire wing of the building. In the confusion, she, using her camoflage, escaped through a service door which lead to unimaginable depth and strange dimentions. She fell out in a homeless camp in New Amster. Having no identification, fewer memories, and the belief that Doctor Quantum was lost, she started a new life, through homeless shelters. She found out that she had aged ten years since she entered the Omni but still had the mind of a younger woman. Her nievate stopped short when she saw human trafficers trying to capture women and children at the homeless shelter. She interviened, killing the criminals. She started getting a reputation as the guardian of the homeless and vunerable in New Amster. When people asked if she was with the Questers, she would usually punch them, but it was through these questions that she found out that Doctor Quantum still lived. In his honor, but still unwilling to let him know she was alive, she patrolled the city for predators, dangerous criminals, and other metas. One night she found a young girl caught in the crossfire of a double drive by. Stinger destroyed both cars and made sure that the punks involved knew that her block was not to entered again by any gang. The young girl was the ward of another meta that had been in town for a visit, Freya. The girl, "Kitten" wanted to stay with Stinger but also with her mistress. Freya agreed to let Kitten stay as long as Stinger allowed it. The two became close friends, stumbling through heroism and the New Amster life. When the Unicorn Blight hit, Stinger began to have painful dreams of dying at the hands of rooks and eventually sought out the help of one called Semper SubRosa. The mysterious figure told her much of why she was having the dreams, that they were flashes back to a previous life, in another quantum reality. In this she had to be ready to lead, she had to be ready to teach, and she had to learn to forgive. To do so, he told her that she needed to find her fit in this world. To Stinger, that meant she had to go home. She informed Doctor Quantum that she was alive, that she was coming back to San Niebla to find her parents killers, but she couldn't bear to be see her former mentor again. He understood, also understanding what would happen if she found her parent's killers. Besides offering her an open invitation to come home whenever she was ready, he sent someone to help her on her path, the Witchstone. He hoped that the sorceress would help Stinger see the path of the hero from the perspective of one who was once a sidekick. Little did either of them knew that the Spot was also coming along to look after, as he called it "a fellow Amster." As they traveled, finding other metas and solving problems on a long road trip, they also encountered El Magnifico who insisted that it was his destiny to travel with them. The Luchador helped teach them about fighting and channeling emotions towards the goal, becoming something of the wrestling zen master for her. In San Niebla, she felt Doctor Quantum hovering over her in her mind as more memories flashed back. it was thanks to those memories, heightend by Witchstone's magic that she was able to find them, still acting as gun runners. Due to her ego, and her drive for revenge, she allowed Kitten to be taken while she was interrogating another member of the gang. Spot allowed her to go alone, as she wanted, to settle the matter. He understood what she had to do. When she found her parents killers, She fought each ot them, including the assassins they hired to stop her. El Magnifico's training paid off there. In the end, Stinger was the only one standing. She was given the opportunity to kill them, scott free or turn them over to the authorities with enough evidence to put them away, or rescue Kitten. Her choice. She chose Kitten, her only friend. Kitten asking that they not be "sent to Hela's Hall* she choose not to kill them. She did take the arm of each of them and destroyed the arms they were dealng, then informed the authorities. Doctor Quantum approached her asking if she was ok now that things were clearer. She hugged him and cried worried what he thought of his old student. He told her he had her blessing to do what she needed to do. In his eyes, she was a hero. She chose to return to New Amster, starting a "unofficial" branch of Quantum's Questers, the Quantum Knights. She finds other warriors and metas who want to learn about their powers as she did, on the streets. Recently, her dreams of dying became stronger, more and more traumatic. It started to affect her waking life, slowly tearing her mind apart. Watchface and Vectorix took pity on her and approached her to tell her the truth. The Libby Mega of this reality died when her parents did. The one that Doctor Quantum remembers also died horribly. She is from one of the few realitles where she lived. She is in essence, the "Sole surviving Stinger." To keep reality from breaking down during the Infinate Quantums event and Entropy, Watchface "sewed" her into this reality. He hoped that her presence would make future events easier for Doctor Quantum and all those who she would save in her life. In that, he told her she was special, almost unique. While she is still reeling from this information, the dreams have lessened. Powers and Abilities Powers Stinger has two primary powers: Camouflage: She has a camouflage reflex that renders her hard to see not unlike a chameleon. Not a true invisibility, in dark places and complex environments, she is hard to find. She also finds that when her camo is on, she is much harder to detect by sound. She thought of using the name Silencer for that reason, but kept the Stinger moniker for old times sake. Exploding Punch: Stinger's body is surrounded by an energy form that she can coalese around certain body parts. When she does this, that part impacts with great force, causing damage like a small explosion. She can direct the explosive force to any part of her body but primarily striking parts are used. She learned how to focus the blasts to cause destruction of objects, catapult them distances, or simply obliterate them. The exact amount of damage she can do in a single blow hasn't been calculated, but she can stop a speeding car, smash bricks, and knock opponents 150 feet. Abilities Stinger is a trained mixed martial artist who's training includes tae-kwon-do, Wen chung Kung Fu, and Lucha acrobatic wrestling. She is also a capable thief, a talented dancer, and a surprizingly good sculpter. She does origami when she is bored. Strength level Stinger, explosive powers aside, has the normal strength for a young woman who exercises regularly. Weaknesses None of note. Paraphernalia Equipment: PALM - she still retains her PALM device from Doctor Quantum. It allows her to change her outfit at will and to act as a personal computing assistant, similar to a smartphone from another dimension. Known Allies and Contacts * Kitten - Kitten is her best friend and the one she watches out for the most. She likes fighting with her and two share a love of seafood and romantic comedies. * The Spot - They have an interesting relationship and tend to respect one another. She still doesn't his understand his obession with "alien invaders." There are more than enough weirdness on earth. * The Insider - Recently a new stranger has come around her town. She knows who he is, but she is still trying to understand what he is. She is beginning to wonder who is teaching whom. * Penultima Common Enemies * Kursigari * Cobalt Queen * Spike * Red Devil * Arboleth Trivia * Hates Cajun cooking * Loves romantic comedies, the darker the better * Has a long list of what she would like to do to certain people if given the chance: the list of people include, Xander Scope, anyone affiliated with the Rooks, three basketball players, two movie stars, and three wannabe DJs in her neighborhood who refuse to believe that they are terrible and should really turn it down. * Agnostic. * Actually has a crush on the Insider which even she recognizes is kind of unhealthy. Category:Female Characters Category:Anti-Heroes Category:Quantums Questers Category:Quantum Knights Category:Deceased Characters Category:Resurrected Characters